First-timers this year . . .

[TJuice]

I was just wondering how many are there of us . . .

I am due end of June and love my antenatal thread as there is so much good advice there but thought it may be nice to share a little with others who are new to this whole thing too.

Anyone interested?

hello, hello

I am still here - 37 weeks tomorrow and getting a bit excited now Seems to have been a long time coming, but with the delivery of my gas & air and various drugs and things by the midwife last week (planning a home birth) it all seems to be coming soon!

Congrats makecakes - sounds like you had a bit of a time of it, but you got there in the end and CJ looks gorgeous, well done you.

Everything has been blissfully uneventful here (touch wood) and we even have furniture to put in the nursery now - although I still have to paint it (today's task) and then there will be some assembling required at the weekend.

Met a bunch of nice ladies at my NCT classes which finished this week and hopefully will keep in touch with some of them - not sure how helpful I found the classes, think they were probably more useful for hubby as most of the info they gave I had read about already whereas I don't think blokes are really that into the obsessive swotting that we are.

Mmmm, otherwise, that's about all.

I will post the list up in a sec.........

I am guessing quite a lot of these people have now 'graduated'?

Loobyt, 32, due Feb 9th, Somerset
Fluffsuptheduff, 29, due 2nd March London/Herts
turtle23, 36, due 23 March, London/Surrey
champagnesupernova due 24 March, London/Herts
ThePFJ, 30 soon, due 1st April, Chesterfield.
7monthsplus, 38, due 6th April
Annieroo, 36 due 21st April, Monmouthshire
Missvicki, 24,due 1stMay, Launceston/Cornwall
Yimmy, 34, due 1st May, South Yorkshire
Yellowflower, 30, due 4 May, London / Middlesex
Mumblesmummy, 22, due 11th May, Cumbria
Fleurie76, 32, due 23rd May, Kent
Makecakesnotwar, 31, due 29th May, Bromley, London
Parofleurmapu, 28 due 11th June, Gran Canaria
thegreenfairy, 32, due 11th June, Bristol
PregnantPenguin, 30, due 12 June, Wimbledon
tallbirduk, 33, due 20 June, Surrey
Deese20, 33, (boy) due 20 June, SE London
bitofadramaqueen, 35, due 22 June, Edinburgh
Tjuice, 32, due June 28th, Copenhagen
MissChika, 31, due July 1st, London
CarrieHD9, 35, due July 7th, West Yorkshire
McChesers, 32, due July 12th, Glasgow
Pigleychez, 26, due 12th July, West Sussex
Gillythekid,34,due 14 July, Hackney, East London
BorgLady, 30, due 15 July, Essex
Kaz1967, 40, due 18th July Bristol (at moment hope to end up in Boston Lincs by the end of May)
MrsHOP, 30, due 21st July, SE London
Squarah, 31, due 24th July, Warwick
Frogger77, due 26th July, Edinburgh
miamla, 32, due 29th July, NE London
Excitable, 31, due 25th August, North Lancashire
Gracie14, 26, due 30th August, Berkshire
SprogletCooking, 31, due 16 September, Reading
digitalgirl, 29, due 25th Sept, N London
PrePG, 31, due 27 Sept, London
ruthosaurus, 30, due 3rd Nov, Sheffield
AHLH, 37, due 16 Sept, S/W Yorks boundary

Hi Tallbird,

Not long now, eh? You sound very organised!

I'm considering NCT classes but price is a bit of an issue (especially as we have to get the bathroom and 2 bedrooms done before Baby Saurus arrives in November) - would you say they were worth it? I'm weighing up the options before I present DH with another big expense, poor man. Not that he's paying for it, it's just that he's a true Yorkshireman and large expenditures make him go a bit faint. Wait til he finds out how much nappies cost, eh? I'm already booked into the local hospital antenatal classes (which are free) but there are only 5 of these and I hear they are a bit medical.

Advice from all much appreciated - how are/were your classes?

Plus, I hear you on crying at work, TJuice. Mood swinging like a crazy woman over here...

organised, hahaha - not me - well, not compared to everyone else I have spoken to at least, they all had their nurseries painted and furniture assembled by 30 weeks (or so it seems).

NCT, hmm, it's interesting - we ladies all met up yesterday for lunch (first time we have met up outside of class) and decided that we thought the classes were a bit vague - but that most of that was to do with our instructor (we think). People who did both the NHS and NCT classes said that they would have done both again as the NHS ones were really good for the medical factual stuff, whereas the NCT is a bit more touchy feely, good for the blokes (who don't usually get to go to the NHS ones if they are during the day) and better if you want to meet other people who are in the same boat as you and might form part of any sort of mum network after the event.

Not sure that answers your question - but I would do the NCT again if that helps

You are right about the money though - it just seems to flow out of the door doesn't it? We have found the same, that we've spent a fortune on all sorts of jobs that have needed doing for years, but that the imminent new arrival has given us the kick up the ar$e to get sorted.

Have actually spent not that much on the baby - but have had new double glazing, wardrobes in our room, painted the whole of upstairs, new carpets...... whereas poor old mini-TB is getting a 2nd hand crib & moses basket off ebay, and a load of hand me down clothes

Nursery is all painted now - 2 coats of emulsion and all the woodwork glossed and I am knackered! Looks nice though, so that's a bonus.

totally agree about the outward flowing money tallbird, we've had a new bathroom fitted and repainted one bedroom, as well as buying all the baby stuff... although lovely SIL has lent us her newborn stuff, like moses basket and baby bjorn carrier etc, which has definately helped!

Happy wedding day TJuice

Gosh, yes! Hope you have a lovely day!

Have met and decided on my Doula all I have to do now is keep the little monster inside my tummy until I get up to Lincs from the size of me that could be easier said than done my smallest fibroid is the size of a small orange I am 33+ weeks and my tummy is 37+ weeks probably because of the grapefruit sized one behind it as a result my uterus is rather irritable and yet again I have tried out the hospital up there because I was having contractions every 15 mins which thankfully calmed down. The hospital is a lot smaller than the ones here and the midwife was lovely the doctor even had warm hands

Kaz-
what a nightmare. Thinking of you. Sounds like the doula might be keeping busy!

sorry to cross post

LADIES!!

I am home from hospital - I went into labour last Tuesday and had Elodie 4 hours later!

She so kindly waited until we got hitched!

And she is sooooooo cute!

The birth was okay - shockingly painful as I seemed to go from 0-10cm in rapid time but I had an epidural that was fab for about 45 mins until i had to push her out. It took 15 mins for that part and nothing really helps that pain.

But I have had a nightmare in hospital as she lost too much weight and I took a few days for the milk to come in. And latching on is still tricky for me, so she is getting formula top-ups for the next two days.

Anyway, more details later. I am so excited to be at home. Danish hospitals are pretty good but its a heatwave here and I was on a special ward because she is technically premature so I had to share with 3 other women and it was like Tenko!!!

Pics are on profile now.

She's in her cot right now and making all kinds of weird squawkey noises . . .

Yippee T- fantastic news! Elodie looks beautiful....isn't it the most fab thing ever? Sorry you are having a few difficulties, but hope you can get them worked out. I ended up mix-feeding whilst waiting for my milk to come in (six days) but am successfully breastfeeding now, so hope you can persevere.

Well done, clever lady, and congrats to you and Mr T (MC laughs at the 80's reference!)for both the baby and the wedding. I hope you are all very happy and not too tired. xxxxx

congrats TJuice, Elodie is beautiful, and so nice she waited until after your wedding. Are your family still around?

well done you!

thanks! my FiL is still here from LA but he goes tomorrow which is cool with me - i just want to get into a routine and potter around with my painful boobs out!

my own parents are coming back in two weeks (they are so unbelievable psyched!)

makecakes - its going a little better all the time - just learning to be patient. glad you are so happy - i am too but very emotional. especially after the whole mc thing - i think back to the last year and it has been so intense and amazing.

Know what you mean T- this time last year I was mid-mc....what a difference a year makes. Just take it one day at a time (three weeks in I'm still ridiculously emotional!) Gentle hugs for sore boobs xxx

Ooo heck think I have had a show I know it does not mean delivery is imminent it could be another 2-3 week (I flippin hope) but I have just repacked my hospital bag which got unpacked when I went up to Boston the other week.

Go kaz!!!!

kaz - what's happening?

TJuice nowt thank god too early not ready at all toooo much to do but at least college is finished

Yay T-Juice - that's ace news! She's absolutely gorgeous! Well done you. And what a cool name.

Hope everything is getting a little easier and you're recovering as well.

Loads of hugs for all the TJuice family.

Went to antenatal clinic at hospital for scan d consultant appointment today my blood pressure was up a little and I had protein in my wee still no glucose though ;) and blood sugar was 6.4 now have a little machine to do it at home and prove to the sceptical sods my blood sugars are fine Todays appointment was not too bad despite this arrived early (you can never tell what Bristol traffic is going to do esp on a Monday morning) was booked a 9.20 was in there by 9 girl that did the scan was lovely the gert big lump trued to hide by turning side on (was back to back for a short time) one fibroid has shrunk 2 others they can see are slightly bigger but I knew that I can feel them one at the back they cannot see. Was in seeing the consultant (yep the consultant ) by 9.30 and she was lovely accepted my explanation about why I did not want a GTT and my logic behind it. I actually felt listened to today which is more than I have done any other time. LO is 1/4 engaged she is seeing me in 2 weeks to make sure they are down lower and no fibroid problems and will scan me herself if need be Waiting for results of blood and wee to see if I need a 24 hour urine (rung twice was told results would be back by lunch time still not back now) Also have to have blood pressure and wee checked twice a week.

Ick- KAz- hoping tests are all clear. xxx

good luck with your move, makecakes!

makecakes all ok so far ended going back in yesterday to pick 24 hour urine bottle as still have protein in wee felt terrible while I was there sick, headache on verge or turning into migraine but think it was just being worried. While I was there because I was feeling iffy one of the midwives from the assessment unit gave me the once over BO back down, smidge of protein still in wee, HB back up to over 11, urea, bilirubin (good cos I am so itchy at times), all ok albumen up slightly towards the norm (one reason my feet are so swollen) baby kicking midwife as usual good heart rate and 3/5 engaged

Dunno about anyone else, but I'm knacked. Baby is being mostly good at the moment, though - I felt it move for the first time last week and it's having a bit of a wiggle now as well.

How are all the mums to be and new mums doing?

Kaz, hope you're okay. Any changes?

ruth keep telling them they have to wait spent Thursday after seeing the midwife and buying some bits in Boots (exciting things like pads and disposable knickers LOL) wandering round the zoo with back pain thinking I might be in labour but no it went off most of me is relieved the other part of me is now very ready to meet them.

Wiggling's fine - I've told it it can wiggle as much as it likes (I'm only 20 weeks on Wed) but I would appreciate it moving off my bladder, at least during the night and possibly when I'm teaching...

What's the deal with glucose in wee samples? Have had a sample sent off for further testing for glucose and protein. Is that bad?

I see you've entered the exciting phase of pregnancy shopping e.g. pads and pants. Not jealous at all although I too will be looking to upgrade into industrial size pants soon as the old ones suddenly seem very skimpy.

Hang on in there.